Black Pride

19.

Ayo and Gwen walked hand in hand towards the elevator. They had finished bathing and had changed into their new outfits. As most of the dorm girls were in their respective classes, they were able to easily access the bathroom without having a crowd around them fighting for whose turn it was to enter. They waited patiently as the elevator door opened. A fairly light skinned Middle Eastern girl stood there holding an empty grocery bag. She had a shoulder length hair which was deep brown in color. They greeted her as they entered and she in turn greeted them back.

"Going shopping?" Gwen asked sharply as she took the grocery bag from the girl's hand and began examining it. The grocery bag was unlike any she had seen. It had yellow feathery wools neatly seamed around its edges and its handles were long and foldable.

"Oh," the girl shyly exclaimed as she moved back a little. Ayo nudged Gwen and told her to return the girl's bag to her.

Gwen smiled and gave the girl her grocery bag. "I'm Gwendoline Yolin, but my friends call me Gwen," she said and gave her a soldier's salute. The girl smiled cutely.

"Don't make the mistake of calling her Gwen," Ayo thought to herself, remembering her first experience with Gwen.

"Nice to meet you Gwen, I'm Aliyah," she said and smiled which made her cheeks puff up. There was something about the new girl that Ayo liked. Maybe it was her Egyptian-like accent, or the sweet savory smell of her perfume, Ayo just couldn't pin-point what it was.

On hearing that, Gwen rushed to where Aliyah stood and gave her a bear hug, choking Aliyah with her hot fluffy bunny onesie. Aliyah squirmed as she tried to loosen herself from Gwen's grip, she couldn't however because her small fragile stature didn't permit her. Ayo noticed that and quickly broke the hug, separating both parties. "Gwen!" she yelled. Gwen pouted. She didn't understand why people didn't like hugs.

"I'm so sorry for that Aliyah, don't mind Gwen, she gets a little energetic at times, I'm Ayo by the way," Ayo said as she straightened Aliyah's clothe which had roughened by the effect of Gwen's roughness.

Aliyah smiled, "well, I didn't mind the hug, it's been ages since I was last hugged," she said and looked down.

"Ayo, did you see? She didn't mind me hugging her," Gwen said as she moped. Ayo gave Gwen a questioning look.

"She was choking Gwen, CHOKING!" she said loudly, hoping to knock some sense into Gwen's childish brain.

"It's okay Ayo, I think I feel alright," Aliyah said and smiled sheepishly.

Ayo nodded as she looked at Aliyah, she had already figured out which category Aliyah fit in according to the blog she had read on 'people you would meet at the university'. Aliyah was part of the shy type of people, and that was greatly evident in her mode of speech and actions.

"Aliyah, since you're going shopping, maybe we could tag along so that we'll get to know each other better," Ayo said as she walked out of the elevator's door which had already opened by that time.

Aliyah smiled as she nodded her head in agreement. "Okay, that'll be good," she said as she walked meekly behind Ayo.

"Let me help you to carry your grocery bag," Gwen said as she collected Aliyah's bag and bounced happily in front of them.

Ayo laughed. "I think Gwen likes that your grocery bag, I do too, where did you buy it?" she asked Aliyah as they walked on.

"Oh, I didn't buy it, I sewed it myself," Aliyah said as they continued walking. She stood still and then brought out a map from her pocket. It was the university map, one of the free ones that they issued to the freshers as they were coming in. She then started to fumble with it, trying to find out where she was and where the grocery store would be. Ayo paused and waited for her. Gwen didn't seem to take notice as she continued jogging off merrily, moving farther from them.

Aliyah squinted her eyes as she turned the map upside down. She looked around her, trying to mark the buildings she saw so as to find them on the map.

"I and Gwen are going to a convenience store close to the South Bay, why don't you follow us, they sell a lot of stuffs there, maybe you'll find what you wanna buy," Ayo said, trying to convince Aliyah.

Aliyah folded her map and looked at Ayo for a moment before timidly agreeing. She then kept her map back in her pocket. Gwen rushed back to them, panting heavily.

"Uhm, I forgot to ask which way we were going," she said as she crouched and began using her palm to fan herself.

"This way," Ayo said as she pointed at a building and started walking towards that direction. Gwen stood straight and held Aliyah's hand.

"Come along now, Aliyah," she said as she hopped forward, pulling a bewildered Aliyah along. Ayo laughed heartily.

~~~

Brie yawned loudly as she relaxed back on her chair, placing her legs on her desk. All the students had left by then, including those who liked to stay a little late after the lectures were over. "Aren't you supposed to be cleaning already?" she asked and looked at Simon.

"What??? Me???" Simon asked with a frown on his face.

Brie rolled her eyes. "Ehn, well, aren't WE supposed to be cleaning already?" she asked, yawning a little bit before scratching her hair which had already gotten messy at that time.

"How bout you go on ahead and start the cleanings, then I will join in later?" Simon said as he lay his head on his desk. Brie looked at him questioningly for a moment but he ignored her piercing gaze and kept his body still.

"You wanna play it the hard way then? Alrighto," Brie said as she chuckled and stood up, carrying her backpack. Simon closed his eyes and tried his best to ignore her.

Shortly after, he heard the sound of a door closing and then keys turning. He gasped and looked up quickly. Brie was not in the class anymore. He hurriedly packed his books in his bag and rushed to the door of the room. He hoped that the sound he heard was not really what he thought it was.

When he got to the door, he found out that he couldn't open it as it was jammed from the outside. "Brie, what are you doing?!" he yelled as sweat drops began to form round his head.

He heard Brie's laugh from outside the room. "You wanted the hard way Simon, so that's what I'm giving you," he heard her say as she dangled the keys in her hand.

"Come on Brie, don't do this," Simon pleaded.

Brie yawned. "Alright, this is what I'll do, when you finish cleaning the room, come and tell me and I'll open the door for you," she finally said.

"No way Brie, you know that's never gonna happen," Simon said. He didn't like where this was going.

"Oh, yes it will," Brie thought to herself. "Better hurry up Simon, I'm gonna leave this place in thirty minutes, and I will take this here key with me," she said aloud. Simon frowned and looked around. He knew Brie could seriously walk away with the keys and leave him locked up in that room till when another lecturer would want to use it.

"Okay, okay, I'll go clean the room now, please just don't leave me here," he said as he dropped his bag down and folded his sleeves up to his elbow.

"Time's wasting Simon," Brie said as she sat on the ground in front of the door and brought out her laptop. She switched it on and turned on her webcam app. Because of the RTX Spontan Cameras she had placed in the lecture room, she was able to have a live stream of Simon sweeping and neatly arranging the chairs and desks. She laughed out loudly as she clicked on the video record button.